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London fire: Police say 58 people assumed dead in tower block

Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 by Abel Norris

If that death toll is confirmed, it would make the Grenfell Tower blaze the deadliest in London since World War Two.

Angry protesters chanting "We want justice" stormed their way into the Kensington and Chelsea town hall on Friday.

The British government Sunday scrambled to contain political fallout from the London high-rise inferno that has claimed at least 58 lives as officials focused on building materials that may have spread the fire quickly.

Hands cautioned Sunday that investigators still don't know exactly what cladding was used when the building renovation was completed past year.

Police would "look into what criminal offences may have been committed", he said, without giving details of who police suspect may be to blame for the fire, or what kind of offences they are investigating.

The leader of Britain's main opposition party is calling for the government to take over empty homes for use by residents displaced by the London high-rise fire.

Theresa May is under huge pressure over her response to the Grenfell Tower fire, with criticism from moderate Tory voices prompting her closest allies to spring to her defence. Grief over a London high-rise tower fire that killed dozens turned to outrage Friday amid reports that the materials used in a recen.

Police searching for human remains inside the burnt-out shell of the Grenfell Tower said they believe that at least 58 missing people have died, a figure that includes 30 fatalities so far confirmed. It is feared many are trapped inside the blazing building as the fire broke out in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Demonstrators hold up banners during a march in North Kensington on Friday, the same day The Guardianreported that contractors installed a cheaper, less flame-resistant type of panelling than what was available during a renovation that ended in May 2016.

"Sadly at this time, there are 58 people who we have been told were in Grenfell Tower on the night that are missing and therefore sadly I have to assume that they are dead", Commander Stuart Cundy told reporters. She said: "I've come out here because people had no hope".

The Chancellor said a criminal investigation would examine whether building regulations had been violated when the block underwent an extensive renovation that was concluded past year.

Another man, who did not give his name, told police: "It's not your fault, she shouldn't have come".

Tottenham MP David Lammy called on Mrs May and the Metropolitan Police to immediately seize all relevant Grenfell Tower documents amid concerns among residents of a cover-up.

The local authority, which owns the tower block where families rent their homes, says it is doing all it can to support the victims and to help the relief operation. The group wore white wristbands in a show of solidarity as they entered No 10.

Mrs May, who met victims at 10 Downing Street on Saturday, has ordered more boots on the ground at the scene after labelling the support given to families in the aftermath of the tragedy "not good enough".

The identification of the victims is proving very hard - which experts attribute to the extreme heat of the fire. "I absolutely get why they're angry", Green said.

He said he was not interested in knowing why they had left it so long to make themselves known, but stressed that it was vital for police to know they are safe and well.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday led a two-minute silence in the memory of the victims who died in the tragic incident.

"Put to the test, the United Kingdom has been resolute in the face of adversity", the queen wrote in her message. Earlier in the day, the 91-year-old monarch described the country's mood as "somber" but insisted that Britain remained resolute during a hard time.

On Friday evening, May was interviewed by Emily Maitlis on the BBC programme "Newsnight" where she sidestepped questions over whether she misread the public mood and anger over the Grenfell fire as well as what her personal response is - leading to more criticism of being called "robotic" and "cold". The building was gutted in a blaze early Wednesday morning that has also left dozens missing and hundreds of others homeless.

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58 people missing and presumed dead in London fire
This relies on dental records, fingerprints and DNA when possible and also features like tattoos or scars. British press is reporting that as many as 70 people are still missing and unaccounted for in the tower.Tuesday, June 20, 2017